Attachment Identifier Comparison for Redundant Data Transfer Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile communication devices face inefficiencies in bandwidth usage and increased costs due to redundant attachments being downloaded multiple times, as the same attachments are sent in multiple messages, leading to unnecessary data transfer and storage.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that compare attachment identifiers with those stored on the device, allowing for the retrieval of a copy from local memory if a match is found, rather than re-downloading from the server, thereby reducing redundant data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the same attachment is downloaded multiple times from the server for different messages, then all messages can be delivered completely, but bandwidth is wasted and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by checking the device's local storage for existing attachments before initiating a download from the server. This preventive check avoids redundant downloads by identifying attachments that are already present on the device, thus conserving bandwidth while ensuring complete message delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of downloading the actual attachment data multiple times, the system uses identifier comparison to detect duplicate attachments. When a match is found, the system references the existing local copy rather than creating a new download, effectively using a simple identifier-based copy detection mechanism to eliminate redundant data transfer.
2Loss of energy
If attachment identifiers are compared with stored identifiers before each download, then redundant downloads are avoided, but additional processing time is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential identifier information from attachments for comparison purposes, rather than processing the entire attachment data. This extraction approach minimizes the processing overhead by working with small identifier strings instead of large attachment files, thus reducing the time penalty while still effectively preventing redundant downloads.
3Ease of operation
If attachments are downloaded immediately upon message receipt, then message processing is simplified, but unnecessary data transfer occurs when attachments are duplicates
Solution Approach 1:
A preliminary identifier check is performed against the device's existing attachment database before initiating the download process. This preliminary action maintains operational simplicity by integrating seamlessly into the existing message processing flow, while simultaneously preventing unnecessary data transfer by identifying duplicates in advance.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus and system for reducing download of redundant attachments to a communication device from a server is provided. An identifier of attachment to a message, for transmission from the server to the communication device, is compared with identifiers of attachments already stored in a memory at the communication device. The communication device is caused to retrieve a copy of the attachment from the memory if a match is found between the identifier and the identifiers of attachments already stored in the memory.